a person is patriotic by their actions

So what has Obama DONE that’s so patriotic? His record there doesn’t seem all that stellar, so I would think that he’d have the good sense to wear the pin and not draw attention to his lack of patriotic deeds.

SeniorD on April 27, 2008 at 2:12 PM

BTW thanks for the smart a** lesson in military awards. I think I have it down, Ive been in long enough.

SeniorD on April 27, 2008 at 2:12 PM

Why would I be labeled a troll, I think this is a ridiculous argument to even be having and your post about wearing the highest medal of valor is a straw man to the real argument. We all know that Obama was not in the Military. I know many people his age who were not in the military, it has always been an all volunteer force for his entire adult life.

Many of the Veteran Senators who served with distinction may have never served were it not required. His point about the flag pin is reasonable in the sense that people have turned into an empty political prop, a person is patriotic by their actions not whether they wear a pin. There are a few republicans who wear there pins but disgust me with their conduct. There are many more Dems who do the same.

Deal With it.

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There is no way the Supers will go against the popular vote, it would isolate their base of young-uns & minorities, of whom they base their success strategy for the next 20 years on.

Alden Pyle on April 26, 2008 at 9:29 PM

I think so too. They will just have to swallow yet another presidential defeat blowout. It might be somewhat different if HIllary offered a strong alternative, but with her unfavorables fixed at ~55%, pushing Obama aside woud be an incredibly stupid thing to do. It would shake the jackass party to its core, and would result in massive dem losses at the Capitol.

At the risk of being labeled a troll, please consider this carefully. If a person (male or female) had been awarded the Navy Cross or Silver Star, would wearing the miniature ribbon of those awards mean more than a simple flag? By rights, those medals are awarded to the following general classifications:

1. A member of the US Armed Forces from any war
2. A member of the US Armed Forces who fought in a known conflict and displayed heroism and valor
3. A patriot who put his or her life on the line for people like you and me.

Personally, if I see such a ribbon (as Bob Dole proudly wears), I wouldn’t think twice about his or her patriotism.

Deal with it.

Frankly, there are other, more pressing issues and involvements we can be focusing on. Not the least of which being Hugh Hewitt’s discovery of more radical preaching from Rev. Wright and Pamela Geller’s new anti-Wright smash hit video. Of course, there’s also the jihad declared on America and the sagging economy and alternative energy needs…

Exactly the point, these jackasses have made our flag into a honest to goodness political prop.

-Squid Shark on April 27, 2008 at 10:43 AM

Yep. And someone saying that they won’t vote for someone because they don’t wear a flag pin has basically acknowledged that they’ve fallen for it.

You have struck a chord. My Korean War vet Dad, who still believes he is a democrat, asked me whether that video was real (he’s about as far from a news junkie as you could ask for). He just couldn’t believe that ANYone would “refuse” to put his hand over his heart for the flag.

We haven’e discussed it, but I’m about 99% sure he will vote for John McCain.

As far as John McCain goes, he needs to do a re-education tour for people like my father and remind them that:

They are against abortion.
They love their country.
They believe in the right to keep and bear arms.
They believe marriage is between a man and a woman.
They do not want confiscatory taxes.
They do not want more government regulation.
That if the economy tanks for real, their retirement monies will disappear, and FAST.
The American health care system is keeping them alive because it is the best system in the world.

I know that some Americans will never stop clinging to their class warfare rhetoric, i.e., “the rich blah blah blah” and “the businesses blah blah blah”; but it is now the Republican party’s job to sell a positive message.

2 words. Operation Chaos.

The pin is an irritant, where we are reminded that people obsess too much about peripheral ephemera. If Obama was so concerned about the reality of what he was elected to achieve, he wouldn’t have been “present” all the time.

3 words. He’s a poser.

You can’t have it both ways, kids.

Ditto’s Squid…

After all, Obama must have noticed that the vast majority of his fellow Senators, of both parties, wear them constantly.

Exactly the point, these jackasses have made our flag into a honest to goodness political prop.

We’re talking about the American Flag. Pop on down to the next VFW meeting and ask them if they think a flag pin is just a “piece of metal,”

I am a military member, Ill say it, it is a piece of metal, a swath of cloth. What gives it meaning are the actions and ideas behind it.

You do realize that it wasn’t the Pledge of Allegiance, right?

The truth is wearing a piece of metal does not say anything at all about how much you love this country. Bottom line.

Nonfactor on April 27, 2008 at 6:11 AM

My mistake on the Pledge… a typo from writing late at night. I think the “bottom line” is exactly the opposite of what you said. In a political campaign, especially the presidential race, almost everything the candidate does “says” something. We aren’t talking about a “piece of metal” (nice dodge, though.) We’re talking about the American Flag. Pop on down to the next VFW meeting and ask them if they think a flag pin is just a “piece of metal,” interchangeable with a smiley-face pin or a bottle cap. It speaks volumes to the people who care about such things that a candidate for high office ostentatiously refuses to wear one, especially since the man is not an idiot and knows perfectly well what message he’s sending. After all, Obama must have noticed that the vast majority of his fellow Senators, of both parties, wear them constantly. Flag pins and other gestures of respect are not required, and I would oppose any effort to make them so, but they are expected. We aren’t going to ask Obama to wire himself to a polygraph and answer piercing questions about his patriotism, but the feelings lurking in his deepest heart are not as important as the way he expresses himself – and after a year of being told what a great communicator he is, you’ll have to forgive some of us for grading him on a steep curve. You may not care about the flag pin, and you may have lots of company. Those of us who do care about it will see you at the ballot box.

tmitsss on April 27, 2008 at 10:09 AM

RIIIIIIIIIGHT

drunyan8315 on April 27, 2008 at 10:03 AM

No, it was a stupid question to ask.

ON top of that, his response was just fine, a reasonable point of view in many ways. The flag pin IS an empty symbol to most of those schmucks in congress on both sides of the aisle. Making it some sort of loyalty test is BS.

For Liberals this is a two-bagger: they get to build themselves up to holier-than-thou status while at the same time tearing down and trivializing Christianity.

But the practice of Liberalism always leads to miserable results such as the 60 million deaths from preventable disease (DDT ban fiasco under “environment” banner), or the current huge increase in food costs and starvation in the third world caused by the Ethanol fiasco under “environment” banner.

“by their fruits ye shall know them…”

the non-wearing of a 99-cent flag pin that no one, but no one, pays attention to

Then why is this an issue?

BO made the flag pin an issue. Nobody attacked him on it – HE pontificated about how he was making a statement by NOT wearing it, as if those who did were shallow.

He pontificated because some idiot who has nothing else to write about asked him.

So if a reporter asks a candidate a question he finds is stupid or bothersome, the candidate gets a pass on whatever he says, right?

Let me go out on a limb here and guess that this is sort of a Democrats-only rule, right?

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/rezko/917388,CST-NWS-rezko27.article

Iraqi power broker bailing out Rezko! Other foreign nationals bailing out Rezko! Rezko and Obama tied to each other financially, with Rezko helping to purchase Obama’s mansion for him! Obama and Rezko partying together…. Wow! No wonder this guy doesn’t want to participate in our pledge of allegiance or wear an American pin on his coat. His buddies and investors include a bunch of middle eastern power brokers.

I am not a cursing man, but I almost cursed upon reading that…

Why do we have streets named after Malcom X?

And why do “Reverend”s choose to march down them?

Red Pill on April 26, 2008 at 11:18 PM

It’s high time Americans wake up to the fact that the MSM is 100% Liberal; they push a 100% Liberal agenda; they “mold” the news to hide the truth/facts while shaping public opinion towards socialism; they hold people such as Malcolm X high up on a pedestal; they get streets and parks named after terrorists and anti-American thugs… The MSM represents Liberal ideology and a desire/agenda to tear down American values and traditions one day at a time; one story at a time; week after week, month after month… Hear is a typical story reflecting the truth about the agenda behind those who make-up the MSM…

I THINK THIS WOULD BE A BIGGER STORY if he were a Republican:

Struggling to confront a worsening homicide rate, the mayor asked pastors and citizens Friday to don burlap sacks and ashes Friday in an Old Testament-style sign of biblical repentance.

Mayor Larry Langford said his “sackcloth and ashes” rally at Boutwell Auditorium was inspired by the Book of Jonah, where residents of the ancient city of Ninevah wore rough fabric and ashes as a sign of turning away from sin.

A pastor who helped organize the rally said Langford purchased 2,000 burlap bags that will be handed out at the event. . . . Since he took office last year, Langford has held three prayer rallies as a way of addressing crime and violence. Bibles were handed out at one of the events.

“This city needs to humble itself,” said Langford, a professing Christian.

Instead, his party isn’t mentioned. You have to go to Wikipedia to find out that he’s a Democrat.

At any rate, this is the worst sort of politico-religious pap. The problem isn’t that Birmingham isn’t humble enough. The problem is that it’s got thugs on the streets that it’s not controlling. That doesn’t call for self-abasement by the community, though the Mayor and the Chief of Police might consider dropping to their knees and begging forgiveness — from the community, not God — for failing to do their jobs.

UPDATE: Reader Jeff Schultz emails:

I am a pretty conservative, evangelical Christian (and a pastor). Thanks for your words on the “sackcloth and ashes” stunt by Birmingham’s mayor.

Repentance might be appropriate for a community-wide spiritual response to the community’s injustice and oppression, but not for a crime wave. The people who repent are supposed to abase themselves. Are the burlap sacks for the thugs? And who in our culture even understands the imagery of sackcloth and ashes? And even if there was wholesale revival in Birmingham, why is it the Mayor and not the religious leaders calling for this?

As you rightly point out, “…this is the worst sort of politico-religious pap. The problem isn’t that Birmingham isn’t humble enough. The problem is that it’s got thugs on the streets that it’s not controlling.”

As I said, I’m an evangelical Christian, and I find this embarrassing, stupid, and pointless.

No argument here.

ANOTHER UPDATE: Hmm. Seems like Langford has a lot more sin on his soul than just other people’s crimes:

Two private charities controlled by Larry Langford collected hundreds of thousands of dollars from businessmen and companies he approved for government work as Fairfield mayor and Jefferson County Commission president, records show. . . . Langford’s financial arrangements with bankers, lobbyists and others who received government business with his help have come under scrutiny from federal investigators. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission lawyers began digging in 2004 into bond deals, many championed by Langford, that since have led the county to the brink of bankruptcy.

SEC investigators asked Langford last year about charitable contributions he solicited from county vendors, including those involved in the bond deals.

It’s like all this God stuff is just a smokescreen to cover up his own sins. Do you think it’s possible? (instapundit)